Cheap Flights from London to Lagos | Seven Zones Travel

I've booked this route more times than I can count, and prices for cheap flights to Lagos never sit still for long. One week a fare looks great, the next it's crept up by fifty quid for no obvious reason. A flight from London to Lagos is one of the busier UK-to-Nigeria routes, so there's decent competition among airlines, which helps. Costs still bounce around a lot though, and if you're new to this route it can feel a bit random. Want to fly to Lagos without overpaying? It helps to know how the route actually works before you start clicking "book." The team at Seven Zones Travel put together this guide to help you find cheap flights to Lagos without losing your evening to ten open browser tabs.

Why London to Lagos Is Such a Popular Route

London to Lagos connects one of Europe's busiest travel hubs with Nigeria's largest city. Business travellers, families visiting relatives, first-timers making the trip for a wedding or a funeral or just to see where their parents grew up this route carries all of them, and in decent numbers. Several airlines fly it. Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Royal Air Maroc, and Air Peace are among the airlines flying from London to Nigeria at various points in the year, and not all of them fly the same way. Some run direct flights out of London Heathrow or London Gatwick. Others route you through Paris, Amsterdam, or Casablanca, which usually means a lower ticket price in exchange for a longer flight time. Ask anyone who does the UK to Lagos trip regularly and they'll tell you: the direct option isn't always the cheap one.

A direct flight from London to Lagos takes around six and a half hours. Connecting through Paris, Amsterdam, or Casablanca can tack on anywhere from two to six extra hours, depending on how the layover lines up. If the best price matters more to you than shaving time off the trip, price both routes before deciding.

How Long Does It Take to Fly from London to Lagos?

A nonstop flight from London to Lagos takes roughly six to seven hours a single leg most people manage without much trouble. Virgin Atlantic and Air France both run this route with a mix of direct and one-stop options, and picking a one-stop itinerary can knock a decent chunk off the fare if you don't mind the extra travel time.

Finding Cheap Flights from London to Lagos

There's no single trick that guarantees the lowest fare. A handful of habits do help, though.

Compare airlines instead of booking the first thing you see

Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Royal Air Maroc, and Air Peace all run this corridor differently, and prices between them can vary more than you'd think for what's basically the same trip. If you'd rather not do the digging yourself, this is where an agent earns their keep. The team at Seven Zones Travel compares routes and airlines daily, so they tend to spot a good deal faster than you would flipping between five comparison sites at midnight.

Price one-way tickets against round-trip flights

 Depending on demand and your travel dates, a one-way flight can sometimes beat a round-trip flight from London on a per-leg basis especially if your outbound and return dates aren't evenly spaced. Chasing the cheapest one-way flight specifically? Weigh it against a full return flight to Lagos first. The obvious option isn't always the cheap one here either.

Don't lock yourself to one departure airport

 London Gatwick, London Heathrow, and London City Airport each open up different routes to Lagos or connecting cities. Checking more than one airport widens your options more than most people expect.

Don't sit on a good fare hoping it drops

 If you're after a cheap last-minute deal, know that last-minute flight prices on long routes like this one usually climb rather than fall as the departure date closes in. Last-minute flight deals just aren't common on flights between London and Lagos the way they might be on a short domestic hop. Booking a few weeks out is the safer bet if you're after the cheapest one-way flight or a decent return option.

Landing in Lagos: Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Nearly every international flight into Lagos lands at Murtala Muhammed International Airport most people just call it Lagos Murtala Muhammed, or simply Lagos airport. It's the main gateway for flights to Lagos from London and other international cities. Worth double-checking your terminal when you book flights to Lagos Murtala Muhammed, since international and domestic arrivals sit in separate buildings. A few travellers searching for flights to Lagos airport compare smaller regional connections too, but if you're flying out of the UK, this is where you'll land regardless. Direct flights to Lagos, and Lagos flights generally, funnel through this one airport rather than splitting across the city.

There aren't really alternative airports near Lagos for international arrivals, so most people planning a trip to Lagos and an all inclusive holiday end up here no matter which airline they pick. Getting from the airport to Lagos city centre afterward is its own headache traffic can add a real chunk of time to your journey, so build that into your plans.

Booking Tickets to Lagos: What to Expect

If you're after tickets to Lagos and trying to keep the total down, it helps to know what you're actually comparing. A return flight to Lagos usually costs more overall than a single one-way ticket, but per leg it can work out cheaper than booking two separate one-way flights so price both before you book flights to Lagos. When you book a flight to Lagos, check whether checked baggage is included, since the leaner fare classes on this route often charge extra for it. Hunting for cheap flight tickets, or trying to find flights to Lagos that include bags without paying through the nose? Compare the total price, not just the number on the search results page. Some searches for cheap flights to Lagos Murtala turn up better value midweek than on weekends worth testing both if your dates allow it.

Deals from London to Lagos tend to show up more outside peak seasons like December, when demand for flights from London to Nigeria spikes as people travel home for the holidays. Fly just outside that window if you can, and you'll usually find better flight deals to Lagos.

What's the Best Time to Book a Flight to Lagos?

Generally, book a flight to Lagos several weeks ahead rather than at the last minute — fares on this route tend to climb as the departure date gets closer. Staying flexible with your travel dates helps too. Shifting a flight by even a day can make a real difference, since fares from London to Lagos move with demand throughout the week, not just month to month.

A Few Extra Things Worth Knowing

Fare gaps between airlines can be big on this route, so check the well-known international carriers alongside Nigeria-based options like Air Peace, which sometimes prices competitively on certain days. Want to find the cheapest flights from London? Comparing across airlines instead of sticking to one loyalty program usually pays off more often than not. Anyone doing the UK to Lagos run on a budget should also watch for the odd flight deals from London that pop up during quieter travel periods. They don't announce themselves, so a bit of regular checking goes a long way.

Flight tickets from London to Lagos, like most long-haul international prices, can shift without much warning. Spot a good deal from London to Lagos? Book it. Waiting rarely pays off last-minute flight deals on this route aren't especially common or reliable. If you're chasing the lowest possible price and you're not locked into a return, weigh the best return flight against two separate one-way bookings. Takes five extra minutes and it's usually worth it.

The Bottom Line

Finding cheap flights to Lagos from London really comes down to comparing properly: check a few airlines, stay flexible on dates and departure airport, and book with enough lead time to dodge last-minute price hikes. Planning a family trip, a business trip to Lagos, or just want to fly to Lagos for the first time patience upfront tends to pay off in a better fare either way. And if you'd rather skip the legwork, Seven Zones Travel can help you find cheap flights to Lagos that actually fit your dates and your budget.